Day Thirty-Seven

For those of you just tuning in, "This Guy is Falling" follows the educational exploits of Mr. Birds-Eye, a high school teacher in his third year of teaching, traditionally the make or break year in the profession. Fearing that he has finally reached his wits end, Birds-Eye decides to write a blog in hopes that he can reboot his year by focusing on the positives of the profession.

And I'm happy to report that it's been working.


Here's two short ones.


Juniors:


Continued our discussion on racial discrimination. This time we focused on the Irish (hey, it's Saint Patrick's Day!) and Puerto Ricans.


I started the class by going over the Irish Potato Famine which killed one million people and sent another million packing.


Here's what I got.


INT. CLASSROOM - DAY


Teacher - Does anyone know how the Irish came to America?


Student (dead serious) - They followed a rainbow?


The Class ROARS with LAUGHTER!


END SCENE


Sophomores:


My sophomores are writing their research papers, and needless to say, a few of them don't know what they're doing.


INT. CLASSROOM - LATER


Teacher - What are you writing about?


Student - Ummm....On why people give up on things.


Teacher - Can you be more specific?


Blank stare.


Teacher - Okay. You could do addiction?


Student - Right. Like if you're high you can't do much because you're high.


Teacher - Good, but you have to bring up three reasons. That's one. What's another?


Blank stare.


Teacher - Okay, how about you can't get much done because you're spending all your time driving around trying to find drugs?


Student - I wouldn't know.


Teacher - Of course not.


Student - I don't drive.


The Class ROARS with LAUGHTER!


END SCENE


And that in a nutshell is why I still like teaching.


Signing off.


Birds-Eye